When Kingdom Goes

Act II - Chapter 1

"Hey, I know you're in there! Open up, Ben!"

Vuella knocks on the door repeatedly, growing harder and harder after each knock. She keeps this up for a few more times, before the door flies open.

"Can you not shout my name in public? And why didn't you tell me you were on the way?" Says a tall young man with short, shaggy black hair.

"Sorry about that, but we were in a rush, and I thought of you last minute. Can we come in for a bit? I have a favor to ask."

"Fine, as long as we can make this quick." He walks back inside and Vuella follows with Rose in tow.

They walk into a cramped living area with a ceiling mere inches higher than the man's head. The room was dark and quite dreary, with the only light being a small glimmer of moonlight sneaking past the blinds.

Rose and Vuella sit on a couch opposite the man.

"Well, you're inside. What do you want?"

"So um... First, this is my friend Rose. She's about to leave the country for a while."

"Nice to meet you."

"You as well. My name is Benjamin Throrth, and I'm a messenger of sorts for some members of the underworld. If you know her, then you must be an assassin or some other not so savory profession."

"Not really. I'm just a runner for the mail center in town."

"Hmm. Interesting. So what is it exactly that you want?"

"I'm here to cash in that favor you owe us. I need you to link Rose and I together."

"Link? What does that mean?" Rose interjects.

"She's talking about my ability. I can link people together so they can talk through their minds. But as for that favor, your brother was one step ahead of you. To be more specific, Elajuel took all three of them."

"What do you mean he took all of them?!" Vuella explodes out of her seat.

"Can you quiet down please? I have neighbors."

She sits back down in her seat, still visibly upset.

"They weren't all his. What did he ask you to do?"

"That's the kicker. One of the three favors was not to tell you about the other two. You specifically, so your other brother knows."

"And because of that, you can't help me?"

"If you're willing to owe me a favor, I'll do it."

"What exactly would you want me to do?"

"Not you, but your friend there. I know you're not just a mail runner. You work for the Royal Family. Next time, tuck the crest on your shirt."

Rose gives a nervous laugh and enters hyperspeed.

"I guess you caught me. Vuella told me to lie if I was asked about what I do, so I did. So, what happens now?"

"I'm not a fighter, so I'm not going to do anything too crazy. Just, whenever I call you, come to my side. It'll only happen once, but it'll be fairly soon. Agree to this, and I'll link you two like you asked."

.

.

.

The road to Kennis was peaceful. She admired the rolling hills and long stretches of forest with occasional areas of open road. It was definitely different from being surrounded by the bustling city streets of Rahu, but she appreciated the change. It was a beautiful sight, but she wished those two were here with her to see it.